Truth Revealed
by AsunaKiritoYuiLove
Summary: A tragedy befalls Harry Potter at the MoM and all of his hatred and anger, his secrets and studies slowly come to light. Will Harry embrace his true house and use his cunning to finally set right the wrongs of the magical world? Or will he perhaps find allies in the most unexpected places? What will happen when he is reborn from the ashes to create a new world, a world of balance.
1. Fate Chosen

Chapter 1: Fate Chosen

Harry chased after her as quickly as he could over the polished and slippery stones that made up the Ministry's Atrium. Her voice echoed through the empty space, tormenting him constantly with the death of the only family he had left. "I killed Sirius Black!" Her deranged laughter quickly followed as she spun around on the floor, obviously not the slightest bit worried about Harry chasing after her or the legal repercussions that would follow suit were she caught. Hopefully. Oh, who was he kidding? The Ministry was completely incompetent.

Her jeers and taunts only caused him to see the image of his godfather falling through the Veil flash through his mind faster, a roar of anger escaping him as he closed in on her, his anger burning with a desire he had only ever felt in small amounts. It had happened before he even knew what he was doing, but her screams were music to his ears, not nearly enough for the compensation of what she had done to his godfather, and so many more. "Crucio." Much to his surprise, his voice had been soft; nearly uttering the unforgivable curse instead of shouting it like his mind had been willing him to do.

After what was seconds but felt like much longer, he broke off the curse; vaguely aware of the lack of supervision he was under and the feeling it gave him– it was exhilarating. Finally there was no one to look over his shoulder and tap him on the fingers the moment he read about dark spells or the unforgivables. How did they expect him to fight the Dark Lord and his minions if he didn't know anything about dark spells? How did they think he could defend himself against the unknown? He had scoffed at it then and he would scoff at it now. He was getting off topic with his thoughts however, and was pulled back to reality when Bellatrix slowly sat up and pouted at him. "Itty bitty Potty throwing around dark curses; your parents must be so proud, _Potter_!" He knew full well she was taunting him but he also noticed that she had felt the pain; the curse had worked. Her eyes were diluted and she was smirking widely, showing off her insanity as it were. Having gained such a reaction to pain, as if on a high, now there was something curious. Curious indeed.

He could also see the very subtle movements she made, edging towards the fireplace. She was going to try and escape, emphasis on _try_. His senses were on fire due to the use of the curse, the energy that had flown through him, and it had made him quite sensitive to his surroundings. "Now Bella, where do you think you're going?" He asked in a condescending manner, smirking as he noted her surprise. "The party just barely started. Won't you stick around– petrificus totalus!" He shot the spell at her before she had the time to dodge and found herself frozen instantly, unable to move, as the Latin incantation suggested. It was then that he felt it, a similar rush of energy like he had felt at casting the cruciatus curse, but this time outside of his body, like a gust of wind brushing by. He felt his voice more than he heard it. "Think of what she has done Harry, she doesn't deserve to live. You know the spell." His voice seemed to echo around Harry's mind, sending a shudder down his spine that had Voldemort chuckling, though surely he thought it was out of fear, rather than a very morbid sense of enjoyment. Harry had little doubt his eyes were as diluted as Bellatrix' were.

Still, he forced himself to calm, Bellatrix would not be going anywhere without the petrification lifted and she was still very much conscious. "Hello Tom," he said calmly, though he still felt his blood and magic thrum through his body at high speed. Naturally, the greeting with the Dark Lord's former name caused a scowl on his snake-like face, although Harry could not see it. The Dark Lord still stood behind him and he had not turned around. "I wonder, why is it that you seem so ready to give up one of your best Death Eaters to me? I was under the impression she was one of your most faithful, and yet you are willing to let her die tonight; why?" This brought out a chuckle from the other, stepping closer to the boy wonder whom had managed to escape him and survive time and time again. "Because, Harry, there is so much more that I could offer you. Much more than those fools of the light ever could."

Harry scoffed; honestly, what did Voldemort think he was- a fool? "Of course you could, there's no doubt about that. I do have a few questions for you, actually," he said, now turning to face the snake-faced lord. "However I would appreciate it if we were given the chance to chat without the guise of a battlefield or the risk of being killed at any instant during the conversation, don't you?" He smirked a little; knowing the prospect of information might intrigue the Dark Lord enough to accept and Harry had no qualms whatsoever about releasing a few juicy titbits about the Order in the process. Voldemort raised a non-existent eyebrow at the proposal. "A parley, how unexpected of you, Harry. Surely your guardians of the Light will disapprove," he returned, a small smirk on his own features; sensing a very open change in the boy, something he had never noticed quite so prominent but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Is it really so unexpected I desire some answers, Voldemort?" He queried, relaxing his stance, although he was still very much on guard. "They have no say over my actions, only Sirius ever did, being my legal guardian and all that." he glared in the direction of the door he had exited, knowing the rest of the 'light' was still fighting down there and he held no real love for most of them. "Well then," Voldemort said, stepping closer. "I do believe it is time for our departure, unless we desire to be apprehended by _undesired parties_?" Harry simply nodded and stepped towards Bellatrix. "I want her where I can keep an eye on her." he blatantly said, not even giving a damn about the fact he was basically ordering the Dark Lord and most feared man of the Isles around.

Voldemort, to his surprise, simply nodded and released her from the binding before ordering her to headquarters and to stay there. The way she smirked and bowed to him before disappearing made it obvious she did not expect repercussions. Harry was going to have to amend that misconception soon. "Ah, now you don't think I would be leaving with you without having you swear a wizard's vow first, did you? Naturally, I will do the same. I'll even start," he almost purred out the last bit of his phrase, smirking at the impressed lord. It was obvious he had expected Harry to be more Gryffindor about this. "I, Harry James Potter, do hereby swear upon my magic not to intentionally cause harm to one Tom Marvolo Riddle and his Death Eaters for the duration of our parley. I also will not purposely reveal any of the information given to me during said parley. So mote it be." He smirked broadly at the other, feeling quite smug with that. He had also promised to keep their little encounter to himself, which would be a necessity considering the fact his little affinity with the Dark Arts was going to be put under scrutiny, and now Voldemort would have to swear to the same. "So mote it be." Tom had replied, inclining his head before swearing the same vow and grabbing Harry's shoulder, apparating away just in time to escape that meddling old fool, Dumbledore.

Harry had caught a glimpse of the headmaster's arrival so he knew the necessity to get away, not to mention the Dark Lord had vowed to his safety. He would need to trust the Dark Lord to keep his pets from harming Harry while he was at their headquarters in the meantime. When they arrived he found himself in an elegant study of dampened greens and silvers, though the occasional dark blue made its entrance as well. Despite having no idea where he was and no way out, he was hardly bothered and instead seated himself in one of the chairs at the desk, obviously leaving the main one to Voldemort. Ah, let the festivities begin.

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><p>Back at the Atrium, headmaster Albus Dumbledore stared in shock at what he had just seen, although he could barely believe it. Tom Riddle had just stood there in what had looked to be the last glimpse of a friendly chat before he had grabbed Harry's shoulder and apparated away. What was more puzzling to the old wizard was that Harry had not struggled; on the contrary, he had caught a glimpse of the old headmaster and smirked at him! This was definitely not good, nor what he had planned. How long had Harry been talking to Tom? Dumbledore was very aware of the similarities between the two and that Harry might as well have been a Slytherin, had it not been for his intervention. He could not have the only hope and beacon for the light turning dark. No, not at all. They would need to come up with a ruse.<p>

Harry being captured would make sense; Tom always did like to gloat, though he had been subtle about it in the past, far subtler than he was now. Naturally, everyone would fear for Harry's life but it was necessary for the greater good. He could not have that boy abandoning them for whatever reason it was now. He would need to find the boy, get the information from him and obliviate him; lest Harry were to tell them he had come with Tom willingly. No, that would not go down well at all. He sighed, heading down to the Department of Mysteries quickly and swiftly to get his people out of there, at least the children. The Order would deal with the Minister and getting him to finally believe the Dark Lord was back. He was such a fool for not believing Dumbledore when the man had told him, such a fool indeed. Ah, but he had his uses, for now.

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><p>Meanwhile at Riddle manor, Harry and Tom were making themselves comfortable with tea and a few snacks brought by the house-elves. After a quick scan that proved no potions or spells were used on the drink he took a sip. "I must say, I was quite intrigued by your proposal, Harry. So unexpected indeed." The Dark Lord smirked, finding it very amusing to be sitting here, having a conversation with the Light's precious poster boy. "Ah, but how else am I supposed to get some answers around here? After all, Dumbledore enjoys keeping people in the dark. If that's what he wants, that's where I'll go." Harry was smirking as well now, using the figure of speech to reflect upon the situation at hand. He could not deny the irony, or the adrenaline it caused, but why not chat with his enemy? He might just finally understand why all of this was happening to him after all.<p>

Tom laughed at the statement. "Harry, Harry; what an interesting perceptive you've adopted, indeed." He leaned back in his chair, setting his cup down. "Well then; be my guest, ask away," It was certainly a reassurance that Harry would not be sprouting this information to the old man as well, it was their little secret and that worked out perfectly. Harry simply nodded in acknowledgement before leaning forward. "Why did you attack my parents and I that night? The prophecy wasn't self-fulfilling. Honestly, I doubt I would have ever tried to kill you had I not been orphaned and put into this situation." Voldemort raised a missing brow at that. "You know the full prophecy?" He asked, curious. Harry smirked, "Yes, but they don't know that and the prophecy was smashed in the Ministry." With a small encouragement from Voldemort, Harry recited the prophecy and rested against the back of his chair. "Why is it, that the most powerful Dark Lord in this time goes after a mere baby and ends up as a wraith?"

Tom gained a thoughtful look and closed his eyes for a small moment, going over the information. It would have been useful to have known this beforehand. "Ah, but does the prophecy still not state we must kill one another?" Harry shook his head. "I haven't had much time to think about it yet either but I don't think that's a must. Either way the prophecy is trying to cut away our free choice, while usually it is a directory of future struggles that must come to pass. Which means that probably at least part of the prophecy is fake, or we can negate it completely," Tom thought on that for a moment. Harry was turning out to be quite smart and even quite (dare he think it?) Slytherin. "Neither can live while the other survives. Tell me your theory then," he said, causing Harry to feel he wasn't satisfied with the information being played about; then again, this would most likely save his life. "This is negated if we stop working against each other. I don't want to fight you. Honestly, the Ministry is a joke and for the best magic school in Europe, Hogwarts is remarkably lacking. The magical world needs something to shake things up and make them right. However, your little pureblood propaganda isn't quite going to be the solution. We are in a minority already."

Voldemort was silent for a moment before his cold laughter echoed around the room, sending a bit of a shiver down Harry's spine. "Has the Gryffindor Golden Boy finally gone dark? What a precious moment indeed," he chuckled softly, smirking in almost a predatory way at the boy. "Ah, but you misunderstand Tom, I've simply shed my skin." Harry smirked right back at the Dark Lord, actually finding the moment just as ironic as Voldemort did. After a small moment they grew serious again. "You are willing to actually work beside me to conquer the magical community and improve it? I must say it is unexpected, but it will leave the light at a great disadvantage." Harry nodded, fully aware of that. "I want to learn, and not only what Dumbledore or the Ministry deems _appropriate_. There should be a way to cherish all magical blood and still reinforce blood purity. Then again, who's to say Muggleborns don't come from long lines of squibs? I doubt marrying your own family is going to do much good for keeping the old lines alive. Instead, you could actually give muggleborns an early introduction to magic so they are not completely clueless, give them a place in our world so that they are not ostracized and they will actually want to stay in the wizarding world, instead of leaving because of the way they are treated, thus endangering our secret."

Voldemort had to admit the boy had a point, but his followers would hardly be open to the idea, although something could surely be done. A little bit of adjusting to his plans would hardly matter in the grand scheme of things if he could fight easily against the light. Harry's outside opinion might just be a very useful trump card indeed. "Very well, we shall see. For now, I realise I have gotten more answers that you have." Tom inclined his head, "As you have already established, the reason I came after you, perhaps foolishly at the time, was because of the prophecy– although I had only heard part of it at the time. However, you might remember I tried to recruit you in your first year, not kill you right away. Why waste such a good opportunity? I simply decided to kill you once and for all because you kept standing in my way," Harry glared a bit at that. "I was hardly given a choice by either of you," he scoffed, leaning back and taking a sip of his tea. "Anyway, I do believe we can form an accord and get something going. I'll have plenty to arrange behind Dumbledore's back anyway, considering I'll most likely be in Sirius' will."

Voldemort raised a curious brow at that. "And you believe the old man does not intend to tell you?" Harry scoffed yet again. "Since when does Dumbledore share information? No, he was even trying to keep me clueless about my own heritage. It's only because I had access to the Black library via Sirius that I even know about it," he glared at the wall before finding, much to his surprise, that Voldemort looked just as furious. "That old man has some nerve denying any child their legacy," Voldemort growled out before smirking a little. "Ah, I do believe some of my Death Eaters will be more willing to accept you, would they know of this injustice." Harry simply nodded, still pissed off. "Oh, I think in that case they'll love to hear all about the fact that Dumbledore dumped me with magic-hating muggles my entire life, under the guise of being safe undeer blood wards. I didn't even know anything about magic until I turned eleven." He made it a point to glare at the wall because he was too furious to do much more at the moment, sarcasm ringing through his clipped words. He still had a lot of pent-up rage from that.

Tom inclined his head, knowing many pureblood families would be outraged about what had been done to the boy by the light, which would only give incentive for his follower base to grow, especially were it adapted to the benefit of muggleborns. With Harry there, they would easily draw them in and outnumber the light. Yes, this would work out marvellously indeed.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, I tend to have ideas running around in my head and this is one of them. I'm surprised at myself for putting it out here so soon already actually but ah well. I'm not sure if I'll leave it at this or if I'll finally end up writing the changes in the magical world but I think it'll be got practice in the least. I hope you all like it and I'd love it if you all could leave reviews. They help me find stuff I could improve and help for motivation too. So R&R peeps x3 Until next time!**  
><strong>-Lumina<strong>


	2. Paths Formed

Chapter 2: Paths Formed

The feeling of being put through a suffocating tube ended within seconds and he found himself standing outside of the Hogwarts wards, before another pop resonated around him and his transporter vanished back to headquarters. He took a deep breath and crossed the wards, heading for the castle that he would always consider his home. It was during his walk that he composed his mind and focussed on what lies to tell the professors and the headmaster. Perhaps having smirked at Dumbledore upon his departure had not been a good idea, but considering he was about to remember absolutely nothing, he could claim _imperius_. Yes, he was capable of throwing it off, but who said he could do the same when the Dark Lord was casting it? He could only hope that the Order would buy his little ruse and leave him be. He would then become convinced he needed to study more and learn to fight so he could defend himself against Voldemort. That free time was essential.

He would need any and every excuse he could come up with to distance himself from his friends temporarily and let his Slytherin side flourish; it was about time he let it out to play. If they learned he was just as much a lion as he was a 'slimy snake' and they would refuse to accept him as he was, then he would have no use for them. Hermione might follow suit if she learned of his plans and the progress he intended to have in the Dark Order. He had little doubt Luna already knew what he was up to and had also already made her decision; Neville would be more open to the idea if he found he could do what he wanted with Bellatrix and hopefully the twins would have enough Slytherin in them to accept his offer. He knew those two were far from being as obnoxious as their younger brother was and there was a big chance the two would ally themselves with Harry; they were loyal to a fault.

He discarded the thoughts of followers and other plans when he neared the gate to find the professors Dumbledore and McGonagall waiting for him there. Ah, there had most likely been a proximity ward set on the grounds, keyed to Harry in order to alert them of his arrival. He made sure to look a bit confused and rushed at them. "Professors! What happened? The last thing I remember I was arguing with Voldemort at the Ministry and then I found myself here." He was still covered with the minor injuries from the ministry and the prophecy had been smashed, leaving him to play helpless and clueless. Dumbledore frowned at him, obviously not believing him. He most likely would be the only one not to, though. Which proved to be right when Minerva looked at him in concern. "Mr Potter, lets get you to the hospital wing and your friends before we have any more explanations, alright?" She suggested, to which he nodded mutedly. He would be given more time to contemplate his plans, perfect.

Upon arriving in said hospital wing, Harry was bombarded by multiple voices, coming from several beds. He tried to ignore the headache the sudden racket brought him, but thank Merlin for Pomphrey, who silenced his friends and tended to him before allowing him to order and answer their and the headmaster's questions. Madam Pomphrey was rather surprised to find him only with minor injuries while some of the others had been injured far more seriously; Neville had even suffered the loss of his wand on top of it all. Once Harry had been patched up he sighed and rubbed his temples, deciding it was time to deal with this; he would need to sooner or later anyway.

"Okay, one at a time guys, please..." After a few nods and mumbles from everyone, Hermione instantly fell into her questioning mode."What happened Harry? You ran after Bellatrix but no one saw you after that." Neville had begun scowling as soon as he heard the dark witch's name while Dumbledore seemed to have a rather unveiled, triumphant smirk on his face, as if he believed Harry would not lie to his friends. Oh, he would tell them the truth, once he found them to be trustworthy of that information. "Yes, I do believe we would all wish to know that." The old man added, obviously not realising Harry completely intended to outsmart them. Upon a short glance in those annoyingly twinkling eyes, Harry felt a mild probe, but was certain his memories and thoughts were safely hidden. Voldemort had been quite familiar with Albus' legilimency skills and had blocked off the particular memory from being read, giving off the same blur of an obliviate or imperius, along with some semblance of mental barriers that Albus could not break without alerting his victim.

"I actually don't really remember much of anything..." He admitted, easily slipping into the persona he had been for five years already. "I remember running after Bellatrix and that she was taunting me to curse her. I missed and Voldemort showed up." A few shivered at the name, Pomphrey more so than his friends. "He was trying to have me cast the killing curse at her. I didn't, and I don't remember what happened after that. He must've obliviated me or something, though I don't see the point in that." He pulled his knees up to rest his elbows on them, trying to think of why the Dark Lord would block his memory and then dump him in front of Hogwarts. Why not simply kill him like he had tried every other year?

"Mate, you sure you don't remember what happened? This is You-Know-Who we're talking about..." Persistent brat, wasn't he? The badly hidden, eager look on his face made Harry wonder what exactly Ronald intended to do with that information. He simply shook his head. "I really don't. Whenever I try to think about it I get a massive headache." He glanced at Albus when he spoke the last word, being rather conscious of the fact the other was trying to find a way around the memory block, while keeping up appearances. "Well, Mr Potter, I can give you a potion against your headache but there is nothing I can do if your memory has been blocked or erased." He nodded at her, giving her a small smile in understanding, mind healing wasn't something every medi-witch was qualified to do. "Harry, my boy, I'm sure you would be willing to offer me the memory of the event?" Albus questioned, figuring Harry would need to bow to his esteemed headmaster's wishes, especially in front of his friends. There was nothing more he would be able to do lest he made any obvious illegal moves. "I'm sorry headmaster but my head is killing me, I'd rather rest for a while." He said, giving the old man a well-acted apologetic look. He wondered if it was time to truly become the second coming of Tom Riddle and give the old coot a heart attack, now wouldn't that be a blast? They needed to be rid of him eventually anyway.

Reluctantly, the two professors left the room, leaving Poppy Pomphrey to tend to her patients. Once Harry assured her that his headache had passed about an hour later, he was free to go, much to the jealousy of his friends. He managed to excuse himself on the base that he needed to spend some time alone, he had just lost the only family he had left. He actually found himself wondering how he had managed to ignore the pain until now, because that loss had hit hard and he intended to make Bellatrix scream for what she had done, albeit indirectly. It was the Veil that had killed Sirius, yet Bella had pushed him in. Ah well, it was all the same. The school was relaxingly calm and void of students this morning, most likely they were attending their classes, which was the perfect opportunity for Harry to wander around and search for a base of operations. He would need one to make his 'office' in and draft his plans. He couldn't do so in Gryffindor tower after all, lest he wished to have the others read over them and proclaim him a traitor and Dark. That would effectively cut off the Light base he intended to recruit for his plans.

It was finally on the sixth floor that he found an old tapestry barring a room that would most likely work out. The down side was that the tapestry did not fancy allowing Harry in, as it was Dumbledore whom had ordered its lockdown, along with most other secret rooms and passages. That simply made Harry even more curious as to what lay behind the door and he began a small debate with the lock of his new rooms. He needed to find a way around Dumbledore's orders! It was then that he noticed a small, embroidered snake on the bottom of the tapestry and smirked, a finger trailing over it. He wondered if there were more of these along the paintings and tapestries of the castle. **"Hello little one."** He whispered to it, startling the human figure in the tapestry by about seven different shades of skin colour and drawing out a small hiss from the serpent that could easily be compared to a purr. **"Master?"** It asked softly in return, as all the Hogwarts serpents had been designed by Slytherin and his ancestors to recognise the speakers as their masters.

"**Yes. I need to enter these chambers but the headmaster blocks me, how do I pass?" **When ignorant, just ask. He knew there was no shame in doing so and being friendly with the snakelings would help him a long way in having his own network of information. The downside was the portraits, which in turn reported to Dumbledore. Hum, perhaps he could convince them to let his actions slip their minds, a way to change the balance of power the headmaster currently held.

"**The masters of founder's blood may always pass where the school master says no."** The young snake hissed, causing a smirk on Harry's face.

"**Thank you, you have helped me much today. Tell your brothers and sisters I will call upon them. The headmaster shall no longer control us." **With that he gave the serpent one last caress before straightening and speaking to the tapestry with words that he had not expected to come to him so easily. "By founder's blood of Salazar Slytherin I command, open these chambers to me and let my command reign." This gave the tapestry no choice but to bow to Harry's wishes, breaking the headmaster's magic, and after setting a password, Harry entered.

The room was, as he had suspected, perfect for his purposes. Not only was it in a rather unused wing of the castle, thus leaving him to come and go as he pleased, but he had also discovered a way to spy throughout the castle. Keeping an eye inside the Slytherin common room would become a piece of cake at this rate. Once seated at the desk that was conveniently placed to face the door, he started taking inventory of the room. It was rectangular, and the intricate wooden desk sat at the far end of the room. Slytherin was the main colour theme but considering his plans, he's have to adopt the Hogwarts crest in here, although he rather enjoyed the muted colours. Deciding to start with a simple colour charm he changed the thick carpet into obsidian blue and changed the large Slytherin crest behind him into the Hogwarts crest, placing smaller Gryffindor and Hufflepuff crests on one side of the wall and Slytherin and Ravenclaw crests on the other. Slytherin and Gryffindor were placed closest to him in a subtle hint to his sorting.

The place was covered with shelves and very old books as well. Upon inspection he found the ones near the desk to be warded and containing books in parsle script. The other warded ones were of powerful magic that should not be easily attempted but it was good to know of. The rest were multiple dark arts books and a few other special magic tomes that had not found their way into the school's vast library. Then again, he doubted some of these would be placed anywhere near the students for public use, not even the restricted section.

With everything going on, he much rather wanted to start working up drafts for his ideas and look up anything he could find on the Dark order, the way it was meant to be, rather than think about Sirius, but he knew he would need to grieve for the loss eventually. Deciding on the easiest way to express his feelings he summoned an empty roll of parchment, a quill and some ink before beginning to write. He poured out the pain he felt when he saw Sirius die, his burning rage towards Bellatrix and his growing distrust for the Order of the Phoenix. Simply because magic was light, it did not make it good. He found himself writing down far more than only his feelings on Sirius' matter, but also his discussion with Voldemort and everything else his thoughts skimmed over, all the injustices done to him. It was through this that his mind cleared and he became able to plan more carefully, though he incinerated the parchment as soon as he was done. It wouldn't do to leave such important information lying about. First things first, he needed data on Tom's old plans.

Harry compiled the old memorandum after countless hours of seclusion and nightly visits to the library. Finally, from snippets, he had been able to make up what he assumed was the old regimen. He put the stack of papers down, threading a hand through his hair. "They couldn't just have made one piece of paper with all the information on it, could they?" He groaned softly before a thought struck him. Why would secretive Slytherins like them leave anything out in the open for Dumbledore and his ilk to find? No, any real data would be in the Slytherin common room. Oh _why_ did he have to object to the sorting hat in his first year? He needed the Slytherins to get used to him and trust him, he would need the new memorandum for that, but he needed to get into Slytherin to get his hands on the old memorandum. This was not going to be easy, unless... He smirked and sat up straighter, banishing a few books back to their shelves so that his desk was returned to a semblance of order before he called Dobby to his office. After having been explained in serious detail what to do, the elf vanished, returning thirty minutes later with the files he had been looking for. People really underestimated the use of house-elves. He also had the eager to please elf ward his location against unauthorised intruders, it was everything short of the fidelius charm and he was proud.

The down side to all of his progress was that his friends tried pestering him even more than usual and it was aggravating him. Hermione was trying to drag him into mounds of homework under the arrogant assumption that he hadn't finished them yet and Ron was trying to pull him further into quiddich. Honestly, he didn't need the reminder that his broom was still locked Merlin knows where and he was banned from playing. Even during class Hermione tried to stop him from even thinking at every turn, losing them multiple points in Snape's class, for once not directed at him, which surely irked the potions master to no end. Harry knew he needed to start resetting his connections to people and soon lest he wished to be ostracised from everyone and his plans would surely suffer under it. His former friends would be first of course, and then would come the Slytherins. He would tackle one problem at a time. Being seen socialising with the Slytherins while still being on shaky terms with his friends would definitely cause trouble he could not afford.

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><p><strong>AN: Well, here's chapter two. I know it's a tad shorter than the last one, but it's pretty hard to focus on what I can get out in one chapter only… I have to admit I was struggling to get a proper beginning onto paper but I managed. ^^ I know you guys are probably standing there with a gun for cutting off Harry's meeting with Voldemort but I promise you'll find out... Eventually~ ;) **

**Hope you all enjoy R&R please~! **


	3. Building a Faction

Chapter 3: Building a Faction

Harry knew he was running out of time. He needed to talk to his friends and soon, preferably one on one, but how? Then again, it would be a total pain if he needed to explain everything to them over and over again. So a group meeting would most likely be best, but without attracting attention to themselves. How was he supposed to pull that off without having his friends question him in the corridors before the meeting? He sighed, leaning against the railing of the astronomy tower. He had taken to coming here when he needed to clear his head and think. However perfect his office was for his purposes, it tended to have a bit of a tense air about it, which distracted him from clear thought. Having the tower nearby was merely convenient.

He hadn't expected anyone to find him up here and so was lightly startled by a soft voice calling him out of his stupor. Having his guard down while thinking really was an inconvenience as he immediately pointed his wand at the intruder, who soon proved to be Luna. She smiled mysteriously and leaned against the railing next to him, seeming completely unbothered by Harry's reaction as the raven lowered his wand. "You know, you really should call a meeting tonight, everyone's free after dinner. You won't get another chance before summer." She said in that singsong voice of hers and Harry was easily convinced she had seer blood in her veins; how else would she know? "Eh, I will. Thank you Luna." He inclined his head towards her and thought for a small moment. "Room of Requirement after dinner then; I'll see you there."

He set off towards the Great Hall, realising dinner would actually be soon and he didn't want to be late. On his way he briefly stopped at his office to pen a note and duplicate it. He had his most trusted members of the DA to invite to a meeting after all, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. He was going to have to reveal a big secret to them and they would most likely be rather outraged and surprised by his decision. When he thought about his magic for a moment, assessing the possible claim that he had gone dark that someone was bound to make eventually, he noticed that his magic felt different, wilder almost. It wasn't nearly as docile as it had been before his meeting with Tom. Despite its new quality, it also seemed freer, happier, as if he was doing the right thing. It was good to know his magic agreed with him.

Speaking of which, that entire negotiation and their decision to have Harry work on Voldemort's ideas, based on the old memorandum had been very tiring and testing as well, urging him to use every bit of Slytherin cunning he possessed to make it through while leaving as few loopholes as possible. It wouldn't do to have the Dark Lord controlling him after all. No, they would work much better if Harry would lead the light faction while Tom led the dark one. There would need to be a lot of work done in order to pass all of their plans legally and get the support they needed. Politics would play a large part, but having the Boy-Who-Lived's blessing would hopefully be good for something, lest the public continued calling him a liar. Having the public oblivious to Tom's return would at least help them work in the shadows.

He arrived at the doors of the Great Hall, wide open as always and breaking him out of his thoughts; the loud chatter could do that to people. He easily spotted his friends at the table, noticing he wouldn't even need to make his way to other houses as the remainder of his crew was seated at the Gryffindor table. He made his way over to them and handed them all the notes. "Don't ask questions, just read that after dinner, okay guys?" He was met with a few mumbles of agreement, although they were far from used to such behaviour from him. Harry wasn't usually one for secrecy so they automatically grew wary, especially considering how drawn back from everyone he had been. Bad move Potter.

He sighed. "I'm sorry I've been away from you guys so much, I just had a lot on my mind. I need to talk to you guys after dinner, that's what the notes are for. I don't want anyone to follow us." Ginny, Hermione and the twins visibly relaxed, Neville also looked happier and Ron... Well, Ron was still sour, but when wasn't he? The redhead did always manage to find something to nag about. Harry was mildly surprised to find his stomach suddenly growling at him, making him realise he had managed to skip lunch in all his stupor. He tackled his food with gusto, feeling he would need all of his energy to inform his friends and see whom he could trust.

It had taken a little while but finally everyone had trickled into the Room, Luna closing the door behind them. Harry had already been present and set the decorations, leaving him in a lavish room he found himself comfortable in; if the others thought the same, well, that was another question entirely. Luna smiled and arranged herself in one of the large couches, deep green with silver stitching, urging their little group to do the same. It didn't go unnoticed by Harry that they were rather unsettled by the mostly Slytherin interior. Only a few things like the cushions and walls were a deep and calming red, the rest left to blues, greens and silvers.

"What did you want to talk to us about Harry?" Hermione was the first who dared speak apparently. He did suppose he made somewhat of an intimidating figure when he sat in the large throne-like seat the Room had given him. He could hardly deny liking it, but his friends... Ah, well that was what they were here for, wasn't it? He smiled and leaned forward, starting their meeting and getting the odd feeling that the crescent moon the seats made around him gave semblance to Voldemort's setting at his own meetings. He quickly banned the thought; he needed to focus.

"I'm glad you all could come." The air of formality around him spoke levels. "You all have probably noticed how absent I have been lately. I know I said this was because I was mourning Sirius' death, and while I was, it was not the only reason." He took a deep breath and he could see some of them sharing glances, wondering what seemed so difficult for Harry to say. "I have not been truthful with you about my disappearance in the Ministry." He leaned back, blocking out the gasps and exclamations of surprise.

"Mate, what're you talking about? You know you could tell us the truth!" Ron's somewhat annoyed expression already grated on Harry's nerves, but he ignored it for now. Was this how Tom felt when dealing with his followers? "As a matter of fact, no, I couldn't. I am doing so now because a lot has happened and I will need your help to progress in my plans." Hermione frowned, shifting in her seat. It was obvious she was rather uncomfortable with the topic and the setting. "Why couldn't you, Harry? Only the professors were there with us. We trust the order. And what plans?" Before he had the chance, Luna giggled softly. "Don't worry Hermione, our lord Serpent will explain, won't you Harry?" She asked, causing Harry to chuckle at her words. Yes, he would not need to worry about her loyalty at all.

"Lord?! What the hell Luna, Harry? You're not making any sense! And Harry isn't one of those slimy snakes at all, he's one of us!" Of course, Ron would be the first to blow up. Harry barely paid attention to the reaction of the others, thus missing the twin's smirks. He was far too focussed on dealing with Ron's prejudice once and for all. He rose from his seat, knowing his magic was starting to build around him, giving his eyes a glow with uncanny similarity to the Avada. Honestly, was Ron incapable of withholding judgement until he had all the facts?

"You're wrong Ronald. I am a Slytherin as much as I am a Gryffindor; do not make me regret the latter. Slytherins are just as good as Gryffindors are evil. You have no right whatsoever to push your bigoted and misguided opinions onto others. The only brave thing about you is the fact you are able to run your mouth when you are clearly not in a position to do so." His magic seemed to cackle with glee at Harry's anger and the whole room felt it, drawing gasps from Neville and Hermione. The amusing part was that Ron was now gaping at him like a fish and turning a shade of red that would have made Vernon Dursley proud.

"What're you saying mate, that you're betraying us and the light? Slytherins are evil and you know it! They're all death eater scum who should be locked up in Azkaban!" A duo of whistles echoed through the room, accompanied by a soft declaration of 'foot in mouth syndrome' by the twins, and right they were. Harry shot a smirk their way before releasing his magic a little more, embracing his role; he was a Dark Lord now, by all accounts. "Is that so? Then, is it your belief I, your oh-so-esteemed saviour, should be in Azkaban for being part Slytherin? I cannot believe I never saw how selfish and bigoted you were before. The house you're in does _not_ matter. You're just as bigoted as the Slytherins are. I am working towards a new world, one where equality among all is a reality and that _magic_ is the most important thing, not blood. Magic is in all of us."

This was definitely not how he had meant for this to go, especially considering he hadn't even spoken of his meeting with Tom yet. It was obvious Ronald did not wish to change his beliefs and harry honestly had no patience in converging him to the cause. He needed to be ready and willing to listen instead of shooting down anything Slytherin and running his mouth. The growl Ron emitted was both a surprise and something he had expected. "Yes! You're under the imperius or something, there's no way Harry would say stuff like that! You're supposed to be my best mate Harry!" Ron had meant to play a different card, but his mouth was running ahead of him again and he couldn't say he cared less.

The laugh that reverberated around the room sent shivers down a few spines and Luna giggled in anticipation. She _knew_ who was right and she knew whom to follow. Dumbledore was nothing more than another Dark Lord to her, one who was ruining the world she so loved. Harry and Tom would be able to rebuild that world from the ashes and make the magical community far greater than it had ever been! Harry's strong and wild magic was a testament to that.

"Don't be a fool Ron, this is who I always was, I just never showed any of you because we couldn't have the Gryffindor Golden Boy be anything less that the Light's perfect weapon to a bogus prophecy now could we? Well, it is obvious where your loyalties lie. Good bye, Ronald." Before even giving the other a chance to say anything else, the spell had been cast, leaving the boy before them in a daze before being kicked out of the room. It was silent for a few moments before Hermione shot out of her seat and tugged on his arm. "Harry! How could you _obliviate_ him like that? He's your friend!" He shook her off gently and went back to his throne.

"No Hermione, he is someone whom only wanted me for my fame. I have seen his jealousy and it was obvious last year. He wants to be in the spotlight and being the bigoted ponce that he is, he could never have been useful to us. I will need you to leave everything you have been taught by the Light behind and he cannot do that. Now that that has been dealt with, I would like to start over; that was not how I had meant for this to go." A few mumbles of acceptance went through the room and he knew he had them subdued with his magic. "Very well then,"

He started into his story, explaining how he had gone after Bellatrix and that he had tortured her, albeit shortly. Then he recounted Voldemort's appearance and the offer the other had made for dear Bella's life. That turned to an agreed meeting between the two in Riddle manor. The shocked gasps he received were rather amusing, causing his lips to curl up into a smirk. "We ended up having a rather interesting conversation, after vowing not to kill each other during our talk. Ah, but then the only problem with that is that I'm not allowed to tell what happened. However, I should be able to manoeuvre around that easily enough. We obviously did not agree on the muggleborn topic, but I'm glad to say he agrees with me that new blood is needed to keep magic alive. If I can prove to him that muggleborns are in fact descendants from squibs, then he will accept that they are technically halfbloods."

Hermione gaped at him, which was not very difficult to believe, considering she hardly expected to have any magical blood in her lineage. "Ask Gringotts for a heritage test, you'll see. If I can get enough of those in circulation, then the purebloods will no longer be able to despise you for your blood. However, I think that isn't the only reason that they do." He leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a moment. Tricky stuff, going around a vow like that. He was still allowed to put assumptions out there however and he would need to get to agree to nullifying the vows so that they could continue their plans, otherwise too much would be left unsaid.

"But Harry-

Why would they-

Hate the muggleborns-

If they aren't muggleborns anymore?"

The twins asked, switching speech pattern between the two and finishing at the same time. It was rather difficult to believe those two did not share their thoughts. Harry smirked at their antics, intending to have them stop with the twin-speak during meetings to come. "Ah, that is simple. To the purebloods, the muggleborns come and go between our world and the muggle world, not understanding our customs and ways and instead taking along their own and imposing them on us. From what I understand, we are supposed to celebrate Yule and Samhain, not Christmas and Halloween, among other things." A few nods around the room proved his point. "Right, so muggleborns are not only a threat to the wizarding world but to its customs as well."

"Harry, I don't understand. How are we a threat to the wizarding world? We haven't done anything..." One of the twins chuckled. "Ickle Hermione doesn't understand..." They teased before explaining. "It's simple really. Because you live between two worlds, there is a big chance the muggles will find out about us and then try to get rid of us. If that happens we're screwed." Fred said, George nodding at his twin, thankfully not switching around speech again. "Right, because there are a lot more muggles than wizards and they'd overrun us. It's not safe to risk them knowing about us." Hermione frowned in turn. "But not all muggles are like that. My parents are delighted that I'm a witch."

It was Ginny who replied, surprising everyone as she had been so silent that no one had really noticed her. "Not all muggles are like your parents Hermione. They could attack us if they think we're a threat and we wouldn't stand a chance." Hermione looked down at her lap, engrossed in thought, although she did not like where this was going. That was Harry's cue to speak again. "The purebloods feel threatened by the muggleborns, but if we prove them wrong and build counter measures so that the magical children in the muggle world will learn about their heritage after the first bout of accidental magic, they should be sated. Too many muggleborns and sometimes even halfbloods are thrown into the magical world at the age of eleven, knowing nothing about that world and being looked down upon by the ones already living in it. If they are introduced sooner and taught what is happening to them, the adaptation will be much easier. Not to mention we could avoid what happened to me. No magical child should grow up to be abused for having magic."

Harry's words were firm and they could easily form a very persuading speech, but there was a long way to go before he could do such a thing. There was so much planning to be done. "I do suppose that would be a good thing, I don't like the way some people look at me just because of my blood status." Hermione said, still engrossed in thought. "But what about Voldemort? Are you working with him? Would we become Death Eaters?" She was obviously rather jumpy about the mere thought of being among the ranks but Harry easily waved her worries away.

"No, no we will not become Death Eaters unless we want to. What we are is the junior section. Consisting of the followers at Hogwarts and the ones we can convince, we will be the ones to spread the new belief throughout Hogwarts. I have sworn no allegiance to the Dark Lord, so we will be free to break away from him if we must, although I'd rather not have to oppose both Tom and Dumbledore..." He leaned back, musing silently. He doubted Tom would turn against them, considering Harry was going to be building him a support base, but still... How could he know for sure? It was Luna who broke the silence. "Don't worry Harry, the Serpent King will not fight us." He nodded at her, appreciating the support. If Tom would indeed stay by their side, there was so much they could accomplish. Bringing down the Ministry under their control was one of the first things they should do, although having Dumbledore and the Order there as well would be no good, especially in the Wizengamot. He would think on it later...

He gazed across his friends, smiling warmly at them, despite the confusion and questions swimming in their eyes. "I am striving towards a world in which all of us shall be treated equally, where Light and Dark will be in balance and where all of us can be happy. Following the Dark is the only way to do so. Who is with me?" It may be too soon to ask for their help or loyalty but he was ambitious and he needed to know now if his friends supported the idea. He saw Ginny shift in her seat and nodded at her to speak. "Harry... We both know Tom; I saw how he used to be. Are you sure this is the right thing to do? Dumbledore surely can accomplish those things? They why fight against him? Tom is dangerous..." Her fear was easy to read and he shook his head.

"Things aren't that easy. Dumbledore was the one who forced me through the hell I lived in at the Dursleys despite the fact I told him multiple times what they were doing to me. He knew full well how I was being treated. Dumbledore only fights for his own ideals, labelled the _Greater Good_. There is nothing great about leaving children to suffer, giving everyone second chances they do not deserve and doing absolutely nothing to salvage the pathetic state wizarding Britain is in now." She had enough sense to look mildly ashamed. They all knew Dumbledore could have done so much yet sat in his office sucking on his lemon drops.

The silence began to weigh upon them and Harry leaned back once more, briefly closing his eyes. He opened them when the twins got up and, to his surprise, kneeled before him. "We might not like Moldy-Shorts very much but we agree with what you've told us. We'll help you in any way we can." The both seemed to take a deep breath before looking straight into Harry's eyes. "We pledge our loyalty, my Lord." Harry could only smirk, those two devious demons saw him for the Dark Lord he was becoming and didn't have a problem following him. Harry had made it obvious he was a separate entity from Voldemort after all; their sullied name would not drag them down.

The returned to their seats and Luna was next to kneel before him, repeating their vow with a very happy smile, as if she knew where all of this would lead. And considering there was no doubt she had seer blood, he figured that she did know. "I pledge my loyalty, my Lord." Once she regained her seat, Harry looked around the room to his remaining companions. Ginny looked nervous and unsure about working with Tom or anything Dark, Neville looked as though he agreed but something was holding him back, and Hermione was still very much lost in thought, obviously not quite ready to make a decision.

"Neville, what's bothering you?" Harry asked, guessing what the problem would be, and he already had the answer Neville would need. Everything would go perfectly and having Neville on his side would help. People trusted the boy, especially when he was more certain and confident in himself. "Bellatrix. She tortured my family Harry; I can't just put that behind me. And V-Voldemort killed your parents. How can you forgive him?" Harry smiled, having known Bellatrix would be a problem.

"Her life has been gifted to me at the ministry and while I want to be the one to kill her as she killed Sirius, you can do pretty much anything you want with her; I wont stop you and neither will Tom. As for my parents, Tom was given a false prophecy to go after my parents and I. I'm pretty sure it was a set-up considering Dumbledore wouldn't hold a job application in the Hog's Head instead of his office at Hogwarts and it's obvious Trelawney's a fraud. And even if the prophecy is real, it can be nullified easily enough by working together with Tom as I intend to do. I've never known my parents and while I wish I had, I know Dumbledore wanted this to happen. I'm his perfect little weapon for the war."

Neville obviously hadn't expected such an answer but nodded, beginning to realise that this really was just a casualty of war. They were in a war and people always suffered and died, sacrifices were made in dark times. Who wouldn't try to kill someone, even if only a child, to protect themselves if they were set on such a path as theirs? It certainly wasn't in his nature, but he could understand the concept. "It's still horrible, but I guess I can somewhat understand it. But just so we're clear Harry, we're not Death Eaters and we're not really on their side, right? We're only going to fight for what you just told us?" Harry smiled, although there was a cold triumph to it. "Yes Neville, we are our own faction of junior members to the cause. We will be the ones creating the support base, both through the people and politically."

Neville nodded and got up, taking a deep breath before kneeling in front of Harry. "I understand. We're fighting for what's right now, not what other people think should be right." He grinned up at Harry before speaking again. "I pledge myself to the cause, my Lord." The wording had the raven-haired teenager chuckling. "Very well Neville, well spoken." He rose, once Neville was seated.

"Hermione, Ginny; I understand that you both need more time to consider what is happening and how the two of you will be involved. Your help would be a great asset to the cause. For now I will need you to keep quiet about this, so I require a vow in order to not speak about this to anyone outside of this room. I can't have Dumbledore knowing about this and you can't tell Ron either, he's a traitor to me now."

Hermione let out a shaky breath and nodded. "I need more time to research and understand what's going on. I won't throw myself into this blindly, it's far too important for that." He nodded his understanding and she gave the vow of silence, giving her only the opportunity to share her thoughts with those already in the know. Ginny also mumbled some excuses about needing to think and gave her vow, although reluctantly. It was a good thing he did not allow any loopholes to be made. He needed this to be kept quiet until he was ready. He had no particular need for Ginny, but Hermione was invaluable, considering her status as muggleborn. She would be able to convince other muggleborns for the cause. "You may all come find me in front of the tapestry of the Hunter on the sixth floor, just ask for 'the young Lord Slytherin' and he will grant you entrance."

With that, they were dismissed and left Harry alone in the Room. He had much to think about and much to plan. Having them on his side before the end of the year would be wonderful, as they only had about a week and a half to go. After the summer and a few visits to certain people, he would be able to get the Dark junior faction under his control and command. Hogwarts wouldn't know what hit it next year.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, there's chapter 3. I hope the length is okay with people? I realised sticking between 2000 and 3000 words was a bit on the short side for the chapters so I'll let them draw out a bit more. Besides, it won't do to cut off chapters if I haven't told everything yet, right? :3 Anyways, I hope everyone likes it as usual cause I had a right trouble getting the info going. **

**I'm struggling a bit with the vow but I'm working on the assumption Harry can still spread his own beliefs, even if those match with what he and Tom talked about during their meeting. So yeah, let me know what you guys think about how this is going and all that shizzle. Reviews are as always very much appreciated so that you all who left your questions and opinions to me :) **

**See you at the next installment! :)**  
><strong>-Lumina<strong>


	4. Summer Break, Or Is It?

Chapter 4: Summer Break, Or Is It?

"My loyal friends," He looked down upon the assembled group that was his inner circle. It was vital no others learned of what was going to be happening, lest they be betrayed, and his entire inner circle had his trust, which was not easily gained. "Our raid of the ministry has bared more fruit than we anticipated. I now am in possession of the full prophecy, and have gained a new ally for our cause."

He saw them mumble excitedly, curious as to whom this new ally could be. Only Bellatrix seemed to be in an unnaturally sour mood, probably because of the sacrifice he had made her into. Ah well, she could be salvaged, if Harry would allow it; she was, after all, his most devoted follower. "The prophecy," He began, silencing his company. "Has been declared void by both involved parties, after Mr Potter and I had a lengthy chat." Once again mumbling arose, as never before the two had been seen in each other's presence without curses flying, let alone have a 'lengthy chat'. Voldemort silenced them once more, his mood growing sourer with each interruption.

"Potter has, in a way, seen the light and agreed to a truce with the Death Eaters. He shall not be harmed without my personal permission, and will be working to build a better world alongside us." His followers shared glances but it was Lucius who finally dared break the silence. "But, my Lord, Potter would never concede to work against muggles or mudbloods." The blond bowed his head more deeply, hoping not to get cursed for speaking his mind. It was well known throughout the ranks that their lord was rather mentally unstable and curse-happy since his return.

Voldemort simply inclined his head, attesting to that statement and surprising everyone with the lack of cruciatus curses going around. "This is why Potter is currently researching the plans that were made at the very beginning, my own time within Hogwarts' walls, and intends to disprove our common hatred of the muggleborns. I will leave the explanations to him when he arrives." He smirked, opening the pit op snakes and letting Potter walk right in to prove his worth, at least politically. If he couldn't hold his own against Tom's followers, he would have very little use.

"What of the muggles, my Lord?" It was Rabastan who had spoken now, his hatred and disdain for muggles known among their circles, as was Severus'. "As much as I would enjoy seeing each and every one of them dead where they stand, it will not be possible to kill them. Their numbers are vastly larger than ours and they are unfortunately rather advanced in technology. However, as I have said, Potter will be the one to explain the fine points of his planning and ideas to us all once he arrives." He smirked, knowing his Death Eaters could be rather ruthless in their beliefs, especially on their own territory. They would defend themselves tooth and nail verbally, as they would not be allowed to curse the boy. Still, it would be a delightfully amusing evening and it would help the lad realise he was no longer among the light. This was a battle, a war, not a children's playground.

They were all reluctant but relented nonetheless, knowing they could not go against their Lord, yet were all looking forward to the day the Potter boy would be presenting his little speech before the inner circle. It would be amusing to watch the boy squirm under their gazes alone. None of them even came close to believing Potter would be able to sway them. The Dark Lord was not one they could oppose, openly or not; the Potter boy however, was another matter entirely. None of them knew Harry was very aware of that fact and intended to be perfectly ready for them.

* * *

><p>Harry paced in his study. Only a few more days until he would be required to return to Privet Drive and those blasted muggles calling themselves his relatives. He was still stuck with the trace on his wand and they were very likely to take his school stuff away from him again. He intended to let Hedwig fly home without him and come find him later. He hated the fact he couldn't do any magic at home and honestly, he was beginning to wonder what was so special about those blood wards, he had nothing to fear from Voldemort now and they shared blood for Merlin's sake! Tom could easily pass through the wards.<p>

He was reluctant to go visit the headmaster as he did not trust the man anymore, but perhaps it would be useful to get Dumbledore to allow him refuge in the Black property. Even the Burrow would be better than this, and that way he could continue to slowly distance himself from Ron. He knew he had acted rashly and irrationally when he had obliviated Ron but they should be able to spin things so that the boy was not too suspicious. Honestly, it would be so much easier if Ron could just be quiet and listen. He was good with strategies when it came to chess and if he could translate that to their plans, it would be brilliant. But Ron had some sort of ingrained dislike, bordering on hate, for the Slytherins and that would get in his way, not to mention he and Ginny had a lot of problems with Dark magic.

He still hated the boy's jealous tendency, considering he should have known that Harry hates his fame with a passion and would be delighted to trade all of his fame and wealth for the lives of his parents, for that was what was truly valuable to him. Family mattered far more to Harry, as he never had one growing up. He shook the thoughts of his family away, instead wondering if he could begin sending subtle hints to the boy that even if some Slytherins were arseholes, they could still believe that magic was more important than blood. If Ron could see reason, they could let him join the cause. The down side was that he doubted Hermione, Ginny and Ron would ever treat him like the budding Dark Lord he was, unlike Luna and the twins. Neville wasn't the type to either, though he was willing to fight for the cause.

He knew it was all still pretty shaky but it would have to do; he wasn't done amassing data and compiling it yet. Not to mention he would most likely be called in for an inner circle meeting with the Death Eaters soon, if his visions were any indication. Even if Tom did not initiate the link purposefully, sending him the fake visions had apparently opened up the connection a bit more. Ah well, as long as it was useful he could ignore the headaches that accompanied it, especially when Voldemort started throwing around curses, which he surprisingly had not done at the last meeting. Was he regaining some of his sanity? One could only hope...

With that in the back of his mind he made way to the headmaster's office. Dinner wasn't due for another hour and he still had some packing to do. He would need to copy pages and notes and store it all away. He couldn't bring the books outside of Hogwarts without alerting the wards, he knew that much. Once he arrived at the gargoyle guarding the stairs, he paused, trying to ban the thoughts of his plans from his head and focus only on the Dursleys and Grimmauld Place. It would either block the headmaster out or give him a mild headache, hopefully. "I need to see the headmaster." He simply stated; receiving a nod from the gargoyle before it jumped aside, allowing him to go up.

Once again the headmaster called him in before he even had the chance to knock. How in the blazes did he manage to do that every time? He didn't have the chance to glance around for spells or a portrait but he would figure it out later. It would be delightful to surprise the old coot for once. "Hello headmaster." He greeted, sitting down when he was invited to do so. "Are you alright Harry, my boy? It is unusual for you to visit." The man said, with his grandfatherly demeanour all out again, not that Harry was buying it though. Somehow the old man must've picked up on that little titbit because the twinkle in his eyes faded somewhat.

"Oh yes sir, I'm fine. I was just hoping I could speak to you about the Dursleys." The stern expression the headmaster adopted now wasn't entirely faked now, laced with concern, though it was most likely more for his own plans than for Harry. "You know you must stay there in order to power the blood wards my boy, they are the only relatives you have, you should treat them as such." Harry barely managed to hold back his scowl and the headmaster picked up on it, much to Harry's dismay. "I will hear no arguments Harry, my boy, we have gone over this and you will return to Privet Drive. Now, I suggest you return to your friends and spend some time with them, you have been awfully isolated lately and it cannot be good for you." Harry sighed but complied with a quick, "Very well headmaster." Before returning to the Gryffindor common room for now. This was not going well at all; he couldn't afford Dumbledore figuring him out.

* * *

><p>Harry was on his way to the train when his head began to feel rather fuzzy, but he wasn't able to focus on it as he was speaking to Ron and Hermione, the latter most likely still miffed about the fact he had obliviated Ron. He acknowledged it had been a dumb move but explained to her Ronald wouldn't have listened and that he was going to take the slow approach instead to salvage what he had done. He sighed, feeling a headache build. Once they were inside the train, the fuzzy feeling began to settle, although it was still far from comfortable, almost as if his magic was attempting to fight against something; but that was ridiculous, wasn't it?<p>

The train ride was filled with meaningless chatter, and by the end of it Harry honestly couldn't remember what had been bothering him. His magic was still slightly restless but he wrote it off to all the tension from what had happened at the ministry and his concern for his friends. He was reluctant to leave them for yet another summer yet it had to be done, he was supposed to charge the blood wards at home after all, and his instincts drove him to protect others.

Thus it was once again an obedient Harry who made his way to Dudley's second bedroom, hoping for the life of him that the Order threatening his uncle had not caused any damage. He was left alone for about half a week before he was called down by Vernon and was nearly startled by the vicious smirks his uncle and nephew were wearing.

"You didn't tell us that freakish, murdering godfather of yours was dead, boy..." He trailed off, his expression saying it all. He was no longer under Sirius' protection and therefor in for the beating of a lifetime, again. He took a small step back out of pure instinct, his magic lashing against his insides to fight back, but he wasn't allowed to do magic and he couldn't risk losing his wand; he had had enough warnings on the matter. "Can't run now, freak!" Dudley said, his sneer almost worthy of a Malfoy, though nowhere near as intimidating as Snape's. Then again, better not mention that...

* * *

><p>Harry groaned and pulled himself up on the bed, closing his eyes and fighting the nausea he was feeling. He was certain he had a broken wrist and leg, and a few ribs suffering the same fate, multiple large and smaller bruises littered all over his body and he was having trouble breathing. They really did a number on him and he was sure he would be sporting a very black eye tomorrow. He didn't dare move once he was lying on his bed, knowing that if he did, it would hurt even more. No doubt they would demand chores of him tomorrow as well...<p>

He slipped slowly into oblivion, ignorant of his magic calling out for help or the fact that it was attempting to heal him. He did let out groans and yelps when the magic snapped his bones back into place, but he didn't wake, his magic inducing a small coma so that he could heal. Having him wake up and thrash about before being properly healed would only damage him more.

* * *

><p>Things were becoming more and more strained at Malfoy manor where the Dark Lord was currently residing, making him quick to lash out in anger for the slightest mistakes. Something was wrong, <em>very<em> wrong. Tom could feel it gnawing at his insides, lightly tinged with Potter's magic, and after two weeks he had had enough of it. He refused to endure this unease and the complete lack of contact from that insufferable brat. He should have been in contact at least a week ago. **"Lucius, Severus."** He commanded, holding his wand to the Dark Mark, knowing the two would be alerted to his summons.

"My Lord." The two said upon kneeling before their lord, both equally unsure of what their master wanted of them. "The two of you will go to Privet Drive and retrieve Potter, this silence has been going on for far too long. Get him here _tonight_. Dismissed." The two were quick to leave. When their lord was in such an aggravated mood it was always best to ask no questions and do as you were told. Now, the two Death Eaters already knew that Potter had come to some agreement with their lord and that without nullification, the two could not repeat what had been said, so they assumed Voldemort only wished them to retrieve Potter for a meeting. Merlin knows the brat couldn't even get out of there by himself.

Once they arrived they found the security laughable and they easily entered and searched through the house while under disillusionment charms. Severus went to check the main bedrooms, assuming as always that the brat was being treated like a king in his home, yet it was Lucius who found him. "Severus, over here."

To say they were shocked was the understatement of the century. The door had a cat flap and a multitude of locks, which they quickly disabled. It couldn't be that the boy lived in this prison-like room, could it? They found that this was indeed the case and were greeted by an alarmed hoot from Potter's owl while the boy himself looked to be unconscious on his bed.

Harry had endured another beating that same day thanks to his inability to work properly, due to his bruises and healing fractures, resulting in more bruises and fractures. Snape cursed under his breath and cast a quick diagnosis charm, his eyes wide when he found the malnutrition, badly healed breaks and fractures, the new breaks and fractures, not to mention all of the bruising. "The Dark Lord is not going to like this..." He mumbled to himself, Lucius readily agreeing when he read the results. "His family did this to him? It looks like Dumbledore has been keeping a few secrets about his Golden Boy." The blond mused, levitating the boy while Snape gathered his possessions, only to find his trunk and wand weren't even in the room.

They went downstairs to find his stuff had been put into the broom cupboard, also suspiciously equipped with a lock. Once the trunk was retrieved, they were once again startled to find the place looked like someone had lived in it. Severus let out a low growl, unable to believe that Lily's son had been put through this hell before realising that he himself had treated the boy terribly. It looked like he was going to have to swallow his pride on this one if he wanted to remedy his relationship with Lily's legacy, as he had not been able to do with her.

They apparated back to the manor and placed him in one of the guest rooms, Lucius instantly leaving to call his wife so she could watch over him and try to heal him at least a little. The two returned to report to their lord afterward. It wouldn't do to have Potter wake up in a foreign room all on his own; he'd panic...

"My Lord, we have bad news..." Severus began, cringing at the glare he received from Tom. "We found the boy locked in a room with multiple locks and a cat flap, unconscious and beaten badly. According to a scan he has been suffering from bruises, fractures and broken bones for a long time, most of them scarcely healed by his own magic." Lucius continued, receiving an agreeing nod from Severus. "I am baffled he even managed to pass through his Hogwarts years with the state he's in, let alone come out standing. His magic seems to have put him into some sort of self-induced coma until he is healed, Narcissa is with him now." He bowed his head, tense for the curse that was sure to come.

Tom was absolutely seething with rage. What in Salazar's name had happened to that stupid boy? He should have been able to outsmart them relatively easily; they were only muggles after all. He let out an angry hiss, cursing in parsletongue and sending a _crucio_ at both Severus and Lucius, far too angry to care for the moment. He released the curse fairly quickly though, much to his subordinates' relief. "Take me to him." His words gave no leeway for discussion and he was quickly taken to the guest quarters where the female Malfoy was bowed over the boy, muttering to herself and ordering potions from one of the house-elves.

She barely even noticed the three men enter the room, busy getting Harry to swallow some skele-gro and a few other potions. "Narcissa how is he?" Tom asked, standing beside her, still irate but pushing it to the back of his mind. He didn't intend to lash out here, especially as the boy's injuries were so obvious. She had taken off his shirt to produce a better scan and to see what she was doing and it wasn't pretty. "Not very well my Lord. My scans indicate this isn't the first time he's been in a coma like this, and by the looks of it the last one was barely a week ago." She took a bruise salve and began smearing it onto his wounds, hoping they would heal soon. "He will most likely not wake until tomorrow, his magic is keeping him asleep until it is safe for him to move around again."

"Will someone explain _why_ he was being abused by those muggles?" He spat out the word with venom before rounding on Severus. "You assured me he was being treated like a spoilt brat, what happened to that image Severus?" He hissed out the last letter, his anger more than apparent. The Potter boy was going to be more than useful and yet here he lay in a coma and completely useless until further notice. "It is what I was told my Lord, that he was being treated well by his relatives and that he was perfectly safe." The potions master took a step back, realising Dumbledore had lied to them all, but why? What could possibly be his purpose in having the boy suffer like this?

"_Dumbledore_..." He received a nod from Snape, confirming his suspicion. "Do whatever you must to give the illusion Potter is still there. He will spend the summer here until he needs to return to Hogwarts, he will be safer here and have the time to work on our projects." The two bowed and left, going to find a way to give the illusion Potter was still there without arousing suspicion from the Order or those filthy muggles, however much Severus would enjoy killing them. He did suppose the imperius was still an option...

The Dark Lord left Narcissa to her work a little while later, pacing in his office, trying to figure out why the old goat could possibly have been allowing those muggles to treat the boy as such. He didn't have any details yet but he would make sure Harry told him everything once he was awake, and if he must, he would take the information by force. Merlin knows he wouldn't share his own past without being forced to.

* * *

><p>It was another four days before Harry finally awoke with a groan. He slowly became aware of both the dull aches in his body and what had happened to him. "Shit..." He mumbled placing an arm over his eyes before realising the room was far less bright than the one he had in Privet Drive. But if he wasn't there... He bolted up instantly, only to moan in pain and fall back down. "Note to self, don't do that..." He mumbled before the door opened and he cringed, expecting someone to yell at him; instead he heard a female voice ramble questions at him. He slowly opened his eyes to find none other than Mrs Malfoy kneeling beside his bed and fussing over him "What the hell?" Oh, he hadn't realised he said that aloud.<p>

She smiled in understanding, which just came across as creepy to him. "Don't worry Harry, you're safe here." She said gently, though he was still very wary of her. If she was here then there was a big chance that he was in Malfoy manor, and that meant the place was probably crawling with Death Eater scum. Oh shit. "Let me go! Why am I here?" He exclaimed loudly, trying to sit up and leaning against the wall, searching manically for his wand, which really just was a sad sight to her. "Please, calm down. The Dark Lord ordered you be brought here, as you haven't contacted him in the two weeks you were home. You apparently promised to send him an update on the projects you were working on."

Harry frowned at her in confusion. Sending letters to the Dark Lord, was she crazy? "What the hell are you talking about; and let me out of here!" He was beginning to breathe more heavily, ignoring his magic, which was getting agitated due to his behaviour, as if they weren't in tune with each other. She sighed deeply at his behaviour and called an elf to her.

"Mippy, will you tell the Dark lord that our guest is awake?" The elf nodded and popped away to report, after which it barely took a minute for the door to slam open again and Harry quickly tried to get away, panic apparent in his eyes. "Potter, we meet again." The Dark Lord drawled, actually relieved the boy was finally awake, though he was still feeling out of sorts, which was odd to him. Not to mention the boy's magic was all over the place, but almost as if it were trying to work against the boy. What was that all about?

"My Lord, it seems Harry has lost his memory. He doesn't appear to remember the arrangements you have made..." She said hesitantly, receiving a snappish reply from the younger. "There's no way I'd ever strike a deal with _you_!" Harry exclaimed, before once again realising he lacked a wand. Tom sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Things never go according to plan, do they?" He mumbled to himself, earning a sympathetic smile from Narcissa as she stepped aside.

"It seems the old coot has decided to block your memory, which means you were foolish enough to forget that he is a master legilimens." Harry just pulled a 'What the fuck?' face at him, not understanding what was going on. "I'm going to refresh your memory so sit still, this might hurt." Not giving the boy another chance to say anything he pointed his wand at him and cast _legilimens_, entering his mind and searching for the block that indicated an obliviate.

It took him a moment, as the memory had been vaguely replaced, although the job was sloppy at best. The memory was still covered in a white fog and Tom wasted no time in shredding the fake one away before getting to work on tearing off the block. He was barely aware of Potter screaming in pain but once he was done he was about to turn away when he noticed a few more of those white fogs, the tell-tale signs of an _obliviate_.

He retreated from the boy's mind and ordered Narcissa to give him a headache potion. "That should have done the trick, I assume you remember now?" Harry groaned after having taken the potion. "Why do these things always taste like shit?" He mused aloud before looking up and blinking. "Tom, what am I doing here?" He drew a hand through his already messy hair, slowly remembering the deal they had struck and everything else but not able to pinpoint who had made him forget or why. Probably Dumbledore though...

A low growl escaped the Dark Lord's lips, causing Harry to smirk. "Yeah, yeah, I'll call you Voldemort; bad habit, I get it." He rubbed his scar briefly, closing his eyes and leaning back. He received a noncommittal sound from the other before opening his eyes again. "So, why am I here? Dumbledore had me dropped off back with those damnable muggles last I remember..." His eyes suddenly seemed to turn a shade darker in anger and he barely held back a snarl. "That fucking bastard... He sent them an owl, telling them Sirius died, knowing they'd take it out on me!"

If Tom hadn't been seeing red before, he was now and Harry knew it, if the pain in his scar was anything to go by. "Severus and Lucius came to find you and brought you here Harry, that was four days ago." Narcissa said, hoping to get his mind off the muggles for a bit. "What? Four days?" He groaned, closing his eyes. "Great, that's three weeks completely wasted..." He was not happy with his lack of progress, at all. That drew a small tinge of amusement from the Dark Lord. "You find yourself in a temporary coma and the first thing you worry about is your work." He chuckled softly, a smirk playing on his lips.

Narcissa smiled as well, taking out vitamin and nutrient potions and offering it to Harry. "Here, take these and rest a little while longer. You'll be staying here for the rest of the summer, we'll get this sorted out tomorrow." She said kindly, earning a small smile and nod from Harry in return. He wasn't all that opposed to sleeping now that Tom had restored his memory, though he would need to go through it in detail tomorrow. It could wait... He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, here's chapter 4. Wasn't too sure where to end it but this should do, right? It was to be expected Dumbledore was going to obliviate Harry, though I have only one of my dear reviewers to thank because their comment brought on the idea ^^ I wanted to work on Ron in this chapter actually but it'll work out eventually. I'm really just writing without much of a planning so we'll all just have to see how it goes XD **

**R&R plz~ **  
><strong>-Lumina<strong>


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